I invite you to join me as a cosponsor of H.R. 4018, which would create a national three-day waiting period for all handgun purchases.

In October 2017, a Harvard Business School study found that mandatory waiting periods between the sale of a gun and its delivery could save hundreds of lives. According to the study, states with mandatory waiting periods – regardless of the length of time
– had an average of 17% fewer murders and 10% fewer suicides. In 2014 alone, researchers estimated that roughly 750 gun homicides were avoided in states with waiting period laws, and that an additional 910 lives could be saved annually if all 50 states and
Washington D.C. had mandatory waiting periods. According to the CDC, over 33,000 people die in firearm related causes every year, with nearly two-thirds of gun deaths resulting from suicides and over a third resulting from homicides.

This legislation would require a 3 business day pause between a handgun purchase and the buyer’s receipt of the handgun, regardless of how quickly the buyer passes a background check. The bill contains an exception of loans or gifts between family members.

Nine states and the District of Columbia already have some form of waiting period laws on the books. If passed, this legislation could save many lives each year.